The present invention pertains primarily to building structures and more particularly to roof edge construction, window and door frame construction and building panel, curtain wall and partition construction. Reference may be had to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,071,987 and Re. 26,056, both owned by the same assignee as the present invention, to show treatment for the raised edge or gravel stop, and fascia at the top edge of a building. The disclosures of these two above-referenced patents are hereby incorporated in this application by reference.
It has generally been the practice in the erection of buildings having brick or cement block walls and metal roof edging, to bolt a piece of wood or nailer to the edge of the building on top of the last row of bricks or cement blocks. Metal edging is then fastened to this wood nailer. As simple as this procedure may appear in this over-simplified summary, the actual step-by-step process is very involved and requires the coordination of several workers, as will be explained below.
In order to get a wood stud or nailer in its desired location, first a wall is made, for example, out of cement blocks. When the wall is completed, steel J-bolts or threaded rods are embedded into the voids or cavities in the top row of blocks using concrete or the like. This contractor, typically a mason, usually fits a nut onto the exposed end of the threaded rod or bolt so that once the concrete has set, removing the nut will knock any rust off, since a clean threaded end is needed. Once the bolts are set and secured in place, a carpenter arrives at the job site with boards, generally 2.times.4's, 2.times.8's, or whatever width is needed. The carpenter must carefully drill and countersink these boards on exactly the right centers, remove the nuts from the exposed, threaded studs, drop the boards in place over the studs, and then, using a washer and the nut removed earlier, tighten the board down. This board, known as a nailer, is generally of pressure threated wood to retard rot. Finally, since it is difficult to set the studs exactly right, a steel worker is sometimes required to burn off the exposed ends of the studs which protrude above the top of the nailer. After all this has been completed, metal roof edging, of a type shown in the two above-referenced patents, for example, is fit into place by a sheet metal worker, who attaches a metal mounting member of some type to the wood studs using nails or the like.
It should thus be readily apparent that in addition to being a labor and time consuming effort, the above-described procedure also requires the coordination of four trades, namely a mason, a carpenter, a steelworker, and finally a sheet metal worker. In this day of "fast track" construction, the fewer trades that depend upon each other, the faster the schedule can be made. A fast schedule and rapid completion of construction projects saves money because contruction loans do not have to be carried as long at current high interest rates. In addition, the complexity of the overall project is reduced significantly.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved roof edge assembly which eliminates the need for the piece of wood or nailer which is normally bolted adjacent the edge of a roof for the purpose of fastening metal roofing edges.
In general, the nailerless roof edge according to the present invention contemplates the use of a tab strip member which is adapted to be secured adjacent the edge of a roof on top of a block wall or the like. Since the wood nailer previously used in the art is eliminated, the tab strip member, which has tab means thereon, is secured directly to the edge of the roof using adhesive or other attaching means. The present roof edge assembly further comprises a cant member having slot means therein adapted to mate with the tab means to secure the cant member to the tap strip member, and also comprises a fascia member which is adapted to be mounted on the cant member.
The tab strip member may comprise a semi-flexible perforated strip with tabs protruding from it so that a slotted cant member can be slid over the tabs, with the tabs then being bent or hammered down to lock the cant member in place. Although several different embodiments of the present invention are described herein, it should be appreciated that other variations or modifications are possible. In one tab strip configuration described herein, tabs protrude out of only one side of the tab strip member, while in another configuration, tabs protrude out of both sides of the tab strip member. As will be explained in more detail hereinbelow, these two different tab configurations are adapted for use with matching slotted cant members.
In securing window frames and door frames to a building structure, it is similarly desirable to eliminate the use of wood framing structures. Wood framing is generally expensive and not well suited for use on masonry and steel buildings. Securing wood framing structures to masonry walls presents many of the same problems encountered with wood nailers discussed above.
Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide an improved framing structure which eliminates the need for wooden window frames, door frames and the like. In accordance with the present invention, an assembly for use in mounting a framing member to a building having an opening, such as a doorway or window opening, comprises a relatively flexible tab strip member having integral tab means thereon. The tab strip is secureable to a surface of the building, adjacent the opening, and the tab means includes a portion protruding in a direction generally away from the building surface. A frame member has an integrally formed means for mating with the tab means, to secure the frame member to the tab strip member. The mating means has a means for receiving the protruding portion of the tab means. The frame has first and second edges and has a means for supporting the frame member within the opening of the building. A cover member is also provided which has means for engaging the first and second edges of the frame member to secure the cover member to the frame member. In one embodiment the tab means protrude generally perpendicularly to the tab strip, and the frame member is provided with an aperture for receiving the protruding portion of the tab. In another embodiment, the tab means defines an elongated finger disposed along the longitudinal dimension of the tab strip, and wherein the frame member is provided with integrally formed clip means for mating with the elongated finger tab means.
The invention further finds utility as a means for securing building panels, curtain walls, partitions, and the like to the wall surface of a building. Thus it is another object of the present invention to provide an improved mounting device for securing a building panel, partition or the like to a building surface. In general, the mounting device according to the present invention employs a relatively flexible tab strip member having integral tab means thereon and being secureable to a surface of the building. The tab means includes a portion protruding generally outwardly from the building surface. A building panel having means for mating with the tab means to secure the panel member to the tab strip member is provided, wherein the means for mating has a means for receiving the protruding portion of the tab means. The building panel has first and second parallel edges and has a channel element along the first edge adapted for interfitting engagement with another similarly constructed building panel. The mounting assembly thus eliminates the need to use conventional brick tie structures which must be placed in the masonary wall, as between mortar joints, when the wall is first constructed.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which makes reference to the following set of drawings in which: